Bale-tie machine.



No. 809,943. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

- A. M. GRIFFIN.

BALE TIE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1905.

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PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

A M GRIFFIN BALE TIE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1905.

PATENTED' JAN. 16, 1906.

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No. 809,943. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. A. M. GRIFFIN.

BALE TIE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IA-H.213, 1905.

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N. I F I R G M A BALE TIE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 23; 1905.

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rinrrnn sragns PATENT ALVAH M. GRIFFIN, OF EAST ST. LOUIS. ILLINOIS,

OFFIGE.

ASSIGNOR TO NEIV PROCESS STEEL & IYIRE COMPANY. OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, A

OORPORATI ON.

BALE-TIE MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed January 23, 1905. Serial No. 242,438.

To Kl]; 11/72/0712, it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, ALVAII M. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bale -Tie Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a machine for manufacturing bale-ties consisting of strands of wire having loops at one end thereof, the machine being so constructed as to provide for, first, the straightening of the wire; secend, the holding, bending, and twisting of the wire to produce the loop; third, the forward movement of the wire after the twist has been produced and the cutting and stripping of the finished bale-tie section, and, fourth, the counting of the bale-ties produced in the machine.

Figure I is side elevation of my machine, partly broken out. Fig. II is an enlarged side elevation of the bale-tie-counting mechanism with parts shown in vertical section, taken on line II II, Fig. IV. Fig III is an enlarged end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. II with portions removed. Fig. IV is an enlarged top or plan view of the forward portion of the machine. Fig. V is an enlarged top or plan view of the rear end of the machine. Fig.VI is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on line VI VI, Fig. I, looking in the direction of the arrow crossing said line and showing the lower ends of the rear supporting-legs of the machine in eievation. Fig. VII is an enlarged perspective view of the stripping-fmgers at the rear end of the machine. Fig. VIII is an enlarged side elevation illustrating in detail the carrier memher by which the looped wire is drawn rearwardiy to the stripper. Fig. IX is a perspective view of one of the wire-carriers. Fig. X is an enlarged vertical section taken on line X X, Fig. IV, with parts adjacent to said line shown in elevation. Fig. XI is a vertical cross-section taken on line XI XI, Fig. X. Fig. XII is an elevation of the wire-cutting knives looking in the direction of the arrow XII, Fig. X. Fig. XIII is a horizontal section taken on line XIII XIII, Fig. X, with parts beneath said line shown in plan. Fig.

XIV is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line XIV XIV, Fig. IV, with parts adjacent to said line shown in elevation looking in the direction of the arrow crossing said line. Fig. XV is a view looking at the forward edges of parts seen in Fig. XIV with portions in section. Fig. XVI is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line XVI XVI, Fig. IV, with parts adjacent to said line shown in elevation. Fig. XVII is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on line XVII XVII, Fig. XIV, with parts beneath said line shown in plan. Fig. XVIII is an enlarged perspective view of one of the twisting-fingers and a fragment of the twistinghead. Fig. XIX is an enlarged cross-section taken on line XIX XIX, Fig. IV. Fig. XX is an enlarged cross-section taken on line XX XX, F IV.

1 designates the table of my machine, which is located at the front end thereof and is out out at various points to provide for the mounting and operation of the mechanism of the machine and has a rearwardly-eXtending arm 1 and an interior shelf 1 The main portion of the table is supported by legs 2, (see Fig. I,) and the shelf 1 is supported by one or more legs 3. (See Fig. XIV.)

4 (see Figs. I, IV, V, and VIII) is a pair of runway track-rails located parallel with each other and extending rearwardly from the table 1 to the rear end of the machine, where they are supported by legs 5.

6 designates a bracket-arm extending forwardly from the table and by which is rotatably supported a train of grooved wirestraightening rollers 7, between which the wire from which the baleties are to be produced passes before it is delivered to the baleticforming mechanism.

8 is a sheave mounted on a shaft 9, rotatably supported by the bracket arm 6 and by a bracket-arm 10, extending from the table 1 and parallel with the first-named bracketarm, but spaced apart therefrom. The sheave 8 receives the wire before it passes between the train of straightening-rollers, and associated with the shaft 9 is mechanism which will hereinafter be described.

The wire from which the bale-ties are to be produced, and which is indicated by A, (see Fig. I,) is drawn from a coil surrounding a stand B.

11 designates a tripod or frame located adjacent to the stand B and having at its upper end an eye 12, through which the wire A passes.

13 is a bell-crank lever pivoted at 14 to the tripod and one arm of which is equipped with a sheave 15, over which the wire A passes immediately after its passage through the eye 12. The other arm of the bell-crank 13 has attached to it a connection 16.

17 is a bell-crank lever pivoted at 17 to the tripod 11 and to one of the arms of which the connection 16 is attached. The other arm of said bell-crank 17 has attached to it a connection 18.

19 is a lever that is pivoted at 20 to a fixed part of the machine (see Figs. I and IV) and to which the connection 18 is attached. This lever 19 has attached to it a throw-rod 21, that leads to and is pivotally united with a shifter bell-crank 22, (see Fig. V,) that is rockingly supported by a bracket-arm 23, fitted to one side of one of the track-rails 4.

24 (see Figs. I and V) is the main powershaft of my machine, which is mounted in journal-boxes 25 on the track-rails 4 at their rear ends and is equipped with a driving-pulley 26, to which power may be communicated from any convenient source.

27 is a clutch on the main power-shaft that is arranged to be thrown into and out of engagement with the pulley 26 to render said pulley either tight or loose on the main power-shaft. This clutch is actuated through the medium of the shifter bell-crank 22. When the machine is ordinarily to be put into operation or out of operation, the drivepul ley is rendered tight or loose upon the powershaft by throwing the clutch 27 into or out of engagement therewith through manual operation of the lever 19, thereby reciprocating the throw-rod 21 and moving the shifter bellcrank 22. The connection 18 and frame-carried members to which said connection is attached, in common with its attachment to the lever 19, are provided for the purpose of automatically operating the lever 19 to throw the clutch associated with the drive-pulley out of engagement therewith in the event of the wire being delivered from the coil becoming tangled or kinked. When such 00- currence takes place, the wire fails to pass through the eye of the tripod 11 and is therefore drawn taut, with the result that the sheave-carrying arm of the bell-crank 13 is drawn downwardly, the other arm of said bell-crank is drawn upwardly, and the bellcrank 17 is rocked, due to its attachment to the first-named bell-crank by the connection 1 When the bell-crank 17 is rocked, a pull xerted upon the connection 18 and the ,er 19 is moved forwardly to operate the clutch-shifting members, so that the clutch is thrown out of action and operation of the machine discontinued.

28 (see Figs. I and V) designates a toothed driving-wheel fixed to the drive-shaft 24, and 29 is a driving-chain that operates on said drive-wheel.

30 is a driven shaft (see Figs. 1, IV, and X) that is mounted in journal-boxes 31, seated on the track-rails 4 and on the table-arm 1 The shaft 30 has fixed thereto a toothed wheel 32, located in juxtaposition to the track-rails 4 and on which the drive-chain 29 operates, so that said chain may travel between and above said track-rails in its course of movement.

33 and 34 are toothed wheels also fixed to the driven shaft 30 and on which driven endless chains 35. and 36 operate. The endless chain 36 leads to a toothed wheel 37, fixed to a shaft 38, journaled in boxes 39, mounted upon the table 1 of the machine near its front end and extending transversely of said table.

40 is a bevel gear-wheel fixed to the shaft 38 to rotate therewith.

41 designates a hollow wire-receiving spindle journaled in boxes 42 on the table 1 and extending longitudinally of the machine and at right angles to the shaft 38. This wire-receiving spindle is located in alinement with the train of wire-straightening rollers 7 and is geared to the bevel gear-wheel 40 by a pinion 43 of less diameter than said bevel-wheel, whereby said spindle may be driven at a more rapid speed than that of the shaft 38, by which the bevelwheel is carried.

44 designates a twister-head fixed to the rear end of the wire-receiving spindle 41 and containing longitudinal grooves 45. (See Figs. X and XX.)

46 designates twister fingers pivotally mounted in the twister-head 44 at 47, (see Figs. TV, X, and XVIIL) so that they may swing to and fro in the twisterhead. These twister-fingers are provided with prongs 48, that are adapted to grip the wire from which the bale-ties are produced when brought together over said wire in the manner hereinafter explained.

49 designates a reciprocating collar loosely mounted upon the wire-receiving spindle 41 and adapted to reciprocate thereon toward and away from the twister-head 44.

50 designates twister-finger-actuating arms having their forward ends fixed to the reciprocating collar 49 and having their rear ends slidably positioned in the grooves 45 of the twister-head. In the rear ends of the twisterfinger-actuating arms are journaled rollers 51. These rollers normally occupy positions adjacent to the twister-fingers and are adapt ed to move into engagement with the outer sides of the twister-fingers 46, as seen most clearly in Fig. X, and when the twister=fingeractuating arms are reciprocated rearwardly during movement of the reciprocating collar 49 the rollers 51 are pressed against the outer sides of the twister-fingers, thereby swinging IIO said fingers inwardly toward each other into the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. X. The reciprocating collar 49 is surrounded by a band 52, (see Figs. IV and XIX,) that is provided with studs 53.

54 is a yoke pivotally mounted at 55 upon the table-shelf 1 and having its arms provided with slots 56, that receive the bandstuds 53. The yoke is thereby connected to the reciprocating collar 49, and it is held in forward or retracted position by a retractingspring 57, providing connection between it and a fixed part of the machine.

58 is a lever-arm fixed at one end to the pivoted end of the yoke 54. (See Figs. IV and XIV.) This lever-arm, which is preferably of resilient nature, extends forwardly from the point of its connection to the yoke 54, and upon its free end is mounted a pair of antifriction-rollers 59 and 60. The roller 60 is adapted to ride upon a runway 61, (see Figs. IV and XVI,) surmounting the table of the machine.

62 designates a shaft journaled in boxes 63 on the table of the machine and located beneath the lever-arm 58. The shaft 62 has fixed thereto a toothed Wheel 64, 'on which the endless chain 35 operates to drive said shaft.

65 is a pinion fixed to the shaft 62.

66 designates a trip gear-Wheel that is rigidly mounted on a rotatable shaft 67, journaled in boxes 68 and arranged in mesh with the pinion 65, by which said trip gear-wheelis driven. The free end of the lever 58 extends into proximity to the trip gear-wheel 66, and projecting from the side of said wheel at which said lever is located is a cam 69, that is adapted to move in a path which will cause it to engage the roller 59 on the lever 58 on each complete rotation of said trip-wheel. The cam therefore acts to throw the lever 58 laterally each time that it strikes said roller, and as a consequence the yoke 54 is thrown rearwardly and reciprocates the collar 49 on the wire-receiving spindle to cause the arms 50 to actuate the wire-twister fingers 46, swinging them inwardly toward each other into wire-gripping position.

7 0 (see Figs. X and XI) designates an upright frame located in proximity to the twister-head 44 and preferably beneath the toothed wheel 32, on whichthe driving-chain 29 operates.

71 designates a loop-forrn slidably positioned in a vertical pocket 72 in the upright frame back of a confining-plate 70. This loop-form is provided at its lower end with an outturned tongue 71, that receives the free end of the spring 73, by which the form is yieldingly upheld to maintain its upper end projected above the top of the frame 70, so that the forward end of the wire A from which the bale-tie is to be produced may be wrapped therearound. The tongue 71 also serves to restrict the upward movement of the loop-form by bearing against the confining-plate 70 The upper end of the loopform is steadied by a bracket 74, in which the form rests when in its elevated position.

75 (see Figs. XI and XIII) designates a rock-shaft mounted in bearing-boxes 76 and 77 at the back of the upright frame 70 and governed by a controlling-spring 75. Fixed to the upper end of this rock-shaft is a curved wire-folding arm 78, that is provided with a fork 7 9 at its free end. When the rock-shaft 75 is rotated, the fork 79 moves in a circular path ,around the loop-form 71 and engages the end of the wire A, carrying it around the form from the position seen in dotted lines, Fig. XIII, to the position seen in full lines. The wire-folding arm normally occupies the position seen in dotted lines, Fig. XIII, thereby permitting the rearward movement of the wire A previous to its being folded by said arm. Immediately after the end of the wire has been folded around the loop-form the twister-fingers 46 are thrown into engagement with the folded wire through the operation of the twister-head-actuating mechanism in the manner hereinbefore explained and the folded end of the wire is twisted into the loop A, (seen in Fig. X,) While the twisterfingers remain in engagement therewith, the fingers being immediately released from the wire as soon as the cam 69 has moved away from the lever-carried roller 59, through the medium of which the members that actuate the twister-fingers are operated.

The rock-shaft 75, by which the wire-folding arm 78 is carried, has fixed to it a drum 80, to which is connected a pull-chain 81. This pull-chain leads to a bell-crank 82, pivoted at 83 to the table-supporting leg 3. (See Figs. XIV and XVII.)

8 4 is a connecting-rod pivoted to the bellcrank 82 at one end and having its other end pivoted at 85 to a lever 86, swingingly fitted at 87 to a supporting-bar 88, secured to members of the frame of the machine. The up per end of the lever 86 is free, and it occupies a position in the path of travel of the tripstud 89, that is preferably surrounded by a roller 90 and carried by the trip-wheel 66 at the side of said wheel opposite that at which the cam 69 islocated. (See Figs. IV, XIV, and

XV.) The trip-stud 89 is offset from the cam 69 and in a position in advance of said cam, whereby the trip-stud is caused to actuate the lever 86 in the manner to be hereinafter explained previous to the engagement of said cam with the twister-mechanism-actuating lever 58, Each time that the trip-stud actuates the lever 86 the connecting-rod 84 is drawn therewith, thereby exerting a As a consequence the rock-shaft 7 5, to which said pull-chain is connected, through the medium of the drum 80, is rotated, and the foldpul 1 upon the bell-crank 82 and the pull-chain 8f" ing-arm 78 is carried in a circular path to fold the end of the wire A around the loop-form 71 previous to the formation of the loop by twisting the wire in its folded condition.

91 designates a cutter-blade fixed to the upright frame 7 O at its rear side in line with the wire-receiving spindle 41, and 92 is a rocking cutter-blade pivotally supported at 93. This rocking cutter blade is located against the fixed cutterblade to operate shearingly thereagainst, and united to its lower end is a connecting-rod 94. (See Figs. X, XII to XIV, inclusive, and XVII.) The connecting-rod 94 leads to a bell-crank 95, that is pivotally supported by a bracket 96, secured to a cross-bar 97, supported by frame members of the machine.

98 is a connecting-rod pivoted at one end to the bell-crank 95.

99 is a lever pivoted to the supporting-bar 88 at 100, and to which the connecting-rod 98 is pivoted. The lever 99 is located in advance of the lever 86, and its upper free end is located in the path of travel of the trip-stud 89, whereby said trip-stud is caused to engage the lever 99 and throw it rearwardly into engagement with a boss 86, projecting from the lever 86. (See Fig. XV.)

101 designates a retractingstrap pivoted to the lever 99 at 102 and provided with a lip 103, that loosely engages the lever 86, thereby permitting freedom of movement of the lastnamed lever with respect to the first-named.

104 is a retracting-spring connected to the strap 101 at one end and having its other end secured at 105 to the cross bar 97. (See Figs. XIV and XVII.) The retractingspring and strap to which it is connected provide for the return of the lever 99 after it has been tripped by the trip-wheel stud 89 and also the return of the lever 86, due to the engagement of the strap-lip 103 with the lastnamed lever.

It will be seen that by the actuation of the lever 99 through the medium of the tripwheel stud 89 the mechanism associated with said lever and leading to the rocking cutterblade 92 is first actuated to cut the bale-tie wire when the tripwheel 66 carries the stud to said lever. The lever 99 is then carried to the boss 86 of the lever 86, connected by the described mechanism with the folding-arm 78, and the end of the bale-tie wire is carried around the loop-form 71 to form the bend for the loop, which is thereafter twisted into the desired loop by the twisting-fingers. After these actions have been performed the trip stud escapes from the lever 99, and the two levers 99 and 86 are returned to their normal positions by the retracting-spring 104. The

folding-arm is also returned to normal position by the retracting-spring 75, secured to the shaft 75. r V I I 106 designates a wire-carrier arm pivoted at 107 to a bracket 108, carried by the driven chain or conveyer 29. There may be one or more of these arms carried by the conveyer 29, and I preferably utilize two of them. The wire-carrier arm extends forwardly from its point of connection with the conveyer. At the free end of the Wire-carrier arm is a loopreceiving finger 110, that is preferably held by a set-screw 111.

112 designates rollers located at the sides of the wire-carrying arm 106.

109 designates guide-fingers projecting upwardly from the forward ends of the trackrails 4, and by which the travel of the wirecarrier arm and rollers 112 are directed.

113 designates a curved guide extending around the forward toothed wheel 32, on which the conveyer 29 operates and inclosing said conveyer at the forward course of travel thereof, so as to be in the path of movement of the wire-carrying arm 106 to receive one of the rollers 112, carried by said arm, and direct the movement of the arm while it is approaching the loop-form 71, as illustrated in Figs. X and XI. When the wire-carrying arm moves to the loop-form, the rollers 112 ride beneath the track-rails 4 and act to depress said arm, thereby pressing the arm-finger 110 against the loop-form and lowering said form to a sufficient degree to permit of the escape of the previously-formed wire loop A onto said finger. The wire-carrying arm having now caught the wire A, said arm and Wire are drawn rearwardly while the conveyer 29 is traveling in a corresponding direction. The operation of the mechanism by which the wire is conveyed in the manner explained and the mechanism by which the wire is cut and immediately thereafter folded are so timed with respect to each other that when the looped portion of the wire is drawn out to the proper extent, according to the length of the bale-tie to be produced, the wire-cutting mechanism will be immediately operated to sever a bale-tie section provided with a loop and the folding mechanism thereafter immediately operated to fold the wire around the loop-form 71 for the production of the next 100 1 14 designates a pair of tapering strippingfingers suspended from the track-rails 4, near their rear ends, by hangers 115. These stripping-fingers are beveled at their lower sides and are spaced apart to permit of the travel of the loop-receiving finger 110 of the wirecarrying arm 106 between them, as seen in Fig. VIII, whereby the loop A of the bale-tie wire when passing beneath the fingers may bear against said stripping-fingers and be downwardly forced off of the wirereceiving finger 110 after the bale-tie is completed and severed during the operation previously'eX- plained. By this means the loops are positively. discharged from the finger 110 without the use of any mechanical discharging member.

Located beneath the traclerails 4 in a position to receive the finished baleties is a catcher, which will next be described.

116 designates a rock-shaft rotatably supported in the legs 2 and 5 of the machine. (See Figs. I and VI.)

117 designates catcher-fingers carried by the rock-shaft 116 and located at intervals duction, upon the catcher-fingers 117.

120 designates a hanger mounted upon and extending from the forward end of the table of the machine. (See Figs. II, III, and IV.) This hanger is provided with a bracket-arm 121, and pivoted at 122 to said bracket-arm is a vibratory latch 123, that is provided with a boss 124, adapted to engage the rock-shaft carried trigger-arm 1 19 to hold said arm from movement while the catcher-fingers 117 are in elevated condition. The latch 123 is provided with a trip-finger 125, that is adapted to receive the engagement of a part to be hereinafter mentioned, whereby said latch is swunglaterally to disengage it from the rock shaft trigger-arm 119.

126 designates a bell-crank pivoted at 127 to the hanger 120 and one of the arms of which is in the form of a yoke 128. gages a slide-collar 129 on the shaft 9 by which the sheave 8 is carried, the collar being backed by an expansion-spring 130, which serves to hold said collar pressed forwardly.

131 is a weighted pendulum pivoted to the shaft 9 and adapted tooscillate into a position transversely to the axis of .said shaft when rotation is imparted to the shaft. This pen dulum has connected to it a presser-rod 132, that bears against the slide-collar 129 and serves to force said collar rearwardly against the action of the spring when the pendulum moves into a position at right angles to the axis of the shaft 9.

133 designates an upright hanger supported by the bracket-arm 10 and extending both above and below said blEICkGt-HIHL.

134 is a primary counting-wheel journaled to the hanger 133 and provided at one of its sides with a trip-stud 135. Retrograde movement of this countingewheel is prevented by a pawl 136, that engages the ratchet teeth of said wheel.

137 is a secondary counting-wheel jour- This yoke ennaled to the hanger 133 in a position offset from one primary counting-wheel, so as to receive the engagement of the trip-stud 135. The secondary counting-wheel is provided with a trip-stud 138, that is adapted to move in a path of travel that will cause it to strike the trip-finger 125 of the latch 123 to throw said latch laterally when the secondary counting-wheel has made a complete revolution. Retrograde movement of the secondary counting-wheel is prevented by a springcontrolled pawl 139, that engages the teeth of said wheel.

140 is a rocking rod journaled at its forward end in the upper end of the upright hanger 133 and at its lower end in a bracket 141, seated on the table of the machine. This rocking rod extends longitudinally of the machine at its forward end and the rear end of the rod lies parallel with the trip-wheel 66.

142 is a trip-arm fixed to the rocking rod 140 and extending transversely and then longitudinally of the machine to the rear side of the trip-wheel 66. The triparm 142 is nor,- mally upheld by a spring 143, (see Fig. IV,) which is connected to the bracket 141 and to said arm and by which the free end of the trip-arm is maintained in the path of travel of the trip-stud 89, carried by the trip-wheel 66. At the forward end of the rocking rod 140 is a crank-arm 140. (See Figs. II and IV, inclusive.)

144 is a pawl carried by the rocking-rod crank-arm and extending downwardly therefrom, so that its free end is located adjacent to the periphery of the primary countingwheel 134 to engage the ratchet-teeth of said wheel.

145 is a throw-finger carried by the pawl 144 and passing loosely through the rear arm of the bell-crank 126, that carries the yoke 128, which is actuated by the slide-collar 129.

The operation of the bale-tie-counting mechanism just described is as follows: l/Vhen the machine is put into operation, ro-

tation is imparted to the shaft 9, due to the wire from which the baleties are being made, traveling on the sheave S, and as a consequence of the rotation of said shaft the pendulum 131 is swung into a position transversely of the shaft 9 and the presser-rod 132 acts to force the spring-pressed slide-collar 129 rearwardly. The bell-crank 126 is therefore rocked to swing the pawl-carried throwrod 145 in a direction toward the primary counting-wheel 134 and carry the pawl 144 into engagement with the teeth of said coun ting-wheel. Each time that a bale-tie is completed the trip gear-wheel 66 makes a complete revolution, as before explained, and the trip-stud S9 rides over the rocking-rod triparm 142, thereby tripping said arm down wardly and imparting rotation to the rocking rod. The rock-shaft is thereby rocked, with the result that the pawl 144 is caused to actuate the primary counting-wheel and impart rotation thereto to a degree corresponding to the length of one of the teeth of said counting-wheel, and after such actuation the spring 143 acts to return the trip-arm to its normal position. This actuation of the parts continues on each rotation of the trip gearwheel 66, and each time that the trip-stud 135, carried by said primary counting-wheel, makes a complete rotation it moves into engagement with a tooth of the secondary counting-wheel 137, thereby imparting partial rotation to said secondary counting- Wheel. The actuation of the secondary counting-wheel is thus continued until said wheel has made a complete revolution, when the trip-stud 138, carried thereby, is brought into engagement with the trip-finger 125 of the latch 128. The trip-stud then by pressure against said latch-finger forces the latch laterally and disengages its boss 124 from the trip-arm 119, fiXed to the bale-tie-catcher rock-shaft 116, so that said trigger-arm may move upwardly and permit rotation of said rock shaft and downward swing of the catcher-fingers 117, carried thereby, to permit the escape of the bale-ties previously supported thereby while being counted.

The primary and secondary countingwheels 134 and 137 may be provided with any desirable number of teeth to count any predetermined number of bale-ties produced in the machine.

I claim as my invention 1. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of a loop-form, means for folding the wire around said form, a twister-head, a pair of twister-fingers independently pivoted to said head and arranged to engage the folded wire, and reciprocating arms free of connection with said fingers for carrying said fingers into engagement with said wire, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of a loop-form, means for holding the wire around said form, a hollow spindle, a twisterhead carried by said spindle, twister-fingers carried by said twister-head, a reciprocating collar mounted on said spindle and having means for engaging said twister-fingers, a spring-controlled bell-crank for actuating said collar, and means for actuating said bellcrank said bell-crank consisting of an unyielding arm and a resilient arm, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of a hollow spindle, a twister-head carried by said spindle, twister-fingers carried by said head, a reciprocating collar mounted on said spindle and having means for engaging said twister-fingers, a bell-crank for actuating said collar, a trip-wheel for engaging with said bell-crank, an antifriction-roller on said bell-crank arranged to ride upon a support over which the bell-crank operates and an anthriction-roller on said bell-crank to receive the impingement of the bell-crank-actw ating portion of said trip-wheel, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of a hollow spindle, a twister-head carried by sald spindle, twister-fingers pivoted to said head, a reciprocating collar mounted on said spindle, a pair of arms carried by said collar and arranged to be moved toward said twister-fingers, rollers mounted in said arms, a bell-crank having one of its arms arranged in engagement with said collar, an antifrictionroller mounted on the other arm of said bellcrank, a runway on which said roller operates, and a trip-wheel arranged for engagement with the last-named arm of said bell-crank, substantially as set forth.

5. In a' bale-tie machine, the combination of a loop-forming mechanism, a conveyer, a wire-carried arm connected to said conveyer and adapted to engage the loop of the wire,

and stripping-fingers having beveled lowersides to receive the loop and discharge it from engagement with said wire-carrier arm, substantially as set forth.

6. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of a loop-forming mechanism, a conveyer, a wire-carrier arm connected. to said conveyer and adapted to receive said loop, a track-rail in the course of travel of said conveyer and on'which said wire-carrier arm travels, and

stripper-fingers supported by said track-rail;

said stripper-fingers having beveled lower sides and being adapted to free the loop from said carrier-arm, substantially as set forth.

7. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of loop-forming mechanism, a conveyer, a wire-carrier arm pivoted to said conveyer and having a finger for receiving the wire loop, a track-rail in the course of travel of said conveyer, a roller carried by said carrier-arm adapted to ride on said track-rail, and guidefingers for directing the travel of said roller as said loop-receiving finger is moved into position to receive the loop, substantially as set forth.

8. In a bale-tie machine, the combination of a tie-producing mechanism, a power-shaft by which said mechanism is operated, a clutch for controlling the operation of said power-shalt, and means for controlling said clutchconsisting of a lever, connections leading to said lever from said clutch, and a bellcrank connected to said lever and having a roller over which the wire delivered to the; machine passes, whereby said bell-crank is ated by the tie-forming mechanism, a pawl carried by said rod and arranged for engagement with said counting-Wheel, and means for carrying said pawl to said counting-wheel, a shaft driven by the Wire passing through the machine, a spring-pressed collar on said shaft controlling said pawl-actuating means, and a pendulum fixed to said shaft and con- .20 trolling said collar, substantially as set forth.

ALVAH M. GRIFFIN.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, BLANOHE HOGAN. 

